overview
Tuscany is, even by Italian standards, a region of outstanding natural beauty and cultural richness. Tuscany is of course famous for its well-preserved towns, packed with architectural and artistic treasures, all surrounded by stunning landscapes of rolling hills and cypress trees, lush vines and olive groves.
Life in rural Tuscany moves at a gentle pace and people work in the fields in much the same way as their ancestors did before them, producing some of Italy's finest wines and olive oils. From this same landscape emerges a profusion of art and architecture inspired by antiquity and the Renaissance. Tuscany was the birthplace of the Renaissance, a period of unprecedented innovation in art, architecture and scholarship, and when you have had a surfeit of culture, there are mountains and wilderness to explore.
Altogether, this is one of the most inviting regions, not just of Italy, but of the whole of Europe.
This holiday is based in the countryside close to the charming ancient walled town of Lucca. Lucca is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, and home to chamber music, Romanesque churches, museums and monuments.
The most enjoyable way to get your bearings in the town is to follow the path around the top of the walls - or even better, to rent a bike and cycle around. Lucca's flat landscape and narrow winding lanes create the perfect conditions for getting around on a bicycle, as many locals do. Visit the 14th-century cathedral Duomo San Martino where you can see Nicola Pisano’s Descent From the Cross, climb the Guinigi Tower, or enter the Piazza del Mercato which supports what survives of an ancient Roman amphitheatre. Medieval houses frame the square and low archways provide the gateways through which Roman gladiators would have emerged. Opera lovers cannot miss a visit to the 15th century Casa di Puccini, a shrine to one of Italy's greatest composers.
Head for the hills to visit two famous Renaissance villas - Villa Torrigiani in the rococo style with its wonderful garden, and Villa Reale.
Stay at the Villa Michaela, a Renaissance style country villa in the depths of rural Tuscany, a stylish and relaxing retreat, set amid olive groves and beautiful countryside. It is perfect for a relaxing break or the ideal base from which to explore Tuscany. Walk in the time aged village of Vorno down quaint little paths overlooking verdant vegetable gardens, and catch a glimpse of gracious faded villas looking down on the city of Lucca and its famous towers.
With access to Pisa, Siena and Florence as well as the
outstanding natural beauty of
Garfagnana there is so much to see and do here.
The chef, Luca, is a proponent of the slow food movement and spends three hours every morning sourcing organic ingredients in local food markets. While he creates his own imaginative dishes, his cooking in the main reflects traditional Tuscan cuisine. He also welcomes guests’ specific requirements and is more than happy to cook to their tastes. Luca also runs one or two day cookery courses at the villa at guests’ request; where you will learn the secrets of Tuscan slow cooking and you will be invited to enjoy the fruits of your labours at the end of the day.
Exhaust yourself on the floodlit tennis court, mountain bike, or ride up the hill through the olive groves and dine al fresco by the pool under the mulberry trees, or under a canopy of wisteria overlooking the olive groves.